She Wore A Black Dress
by Jenna McKane
Summary: Set post 2x07. Felicity returns to the office and things don't go as smoothly as she'd hope them to.


A/N: Just when I got used to being able to watch Arrow on its regular time my rehearsal schedule changed. With that being said, I just watched State v. Queen and Oh my God! This is an aftermath one shot because I felt it to be relevant and it was stuck in my head. xoxo Jenn

* * *

The office was dark, illuminated only by the sun that shined through the blinds. It looked nearly the same. Nobody would ever guess what had transpired there the night before. Only she and Oliver truly knew what happened there. But only Felicity had to deal with the horrid aftermath. Only she had the dreams that turned into nightmares with no one there to hold her.

She took a deep breath before she entered the office and a chill went though her body. She wasn't sure what hit her harder, the actual shudder that went though her body or the one that went through her soul. She wasn't shocked that she was reacting the way she was, she just wished she wasn't. She wished she was strong enough to fight this the way she should. The way he would.

Her eyes scanned the room, desperately looking for anything out of place and all she found was a flower in a deep purple vase. The flower was devoid of color yet it lit up the room more than the streams of light that splintered through the blinds. Felicity stood there for a good moment before approaching it. She reached out and placed her hand on its delicate petal. The petal nearly molded into her hand and she closed her eyes. She took a deep breath and let herself get lost in the scent of the delicacy in her hands.

It was moments before she opened her eyes but she felt his presence before she did open them. He was watching her. He said nothing but took the sight of her in. It almost broke Oliver's heart to see her in such a state. He couldn't place exactly what it was but she wasn't looking the way he expected her to.

"Hey," he spoke softly as he approached her.

She turned around and looked at him. His eyes told him all the things he'd ever need to know. "Hey," she said back just as soft as he had.

"How are you?" He asked as she turned her head back to the flower.

"I'm," Felicity took a deep breath and closed her breath. "I'm," she tried again but she still couldn't find the words to say. She thought back to the nightmares and how each one ended the same way, with him dead and The Count ready and willing to do same to her. Oliver said nothing and let her collect her thoughts. With a sigh she looked at him and said, "Not as great as I'd liked to be."

Oliver watched her as tears began to form in her eyes, "I thought that I could do it. I thought that I could sit here today and distract myself enough that I wouldn't have time to think about him," Her voiced cracked as she spoke again, "But he's been on my mind ever since I woke up. I feel his hands on me. I feel his breath on my neck. I, I, I can't help but think of him."

Oliver closed the gap between them and enveloped her in a hug, "You should go home."

"I'm safer here," _with you _she said in her head. He said nothing but runs his hand over her hair hoping that it's comforting and doesn't remind her of The Count.

He waits for her to move away but she doesn't. When he looked down at the girl in his arms he sees that Felicity is asleep and her head over his heart. He picked her up gently, careful not to disturb her and took her into his office placing her on the couch. He thinks better of it after the fact but hopes that he made the right choice.

Oliver sat down at his desk and stares at the sleeping woman he saw in front of him. He cursed himself for bringing her into his life and praised God that she's in a state that's not death in the same breath. He wished things were different, but right now he's content to see that she's alive.

Oliver watched over her all day. Comforting her when she began to toss and turn, talking to her when she wanted it and leaving her alone when she needed it. She thanks him countless times and each time he tells her that it's not a problem time and when she muttered an apology for the fourth time he told her that he'd do it again to save her every time.

And when they left at quarter after five he finally placed what was different with her on that day. She wore no color, she wore a black dress.


End file.
